White Girl
by Ryn of Magic
Summary: Paige didn't have a pack. She was white, but didn't fit with the white crown at Long Beach. She though room 203 would be the end of her. Instead, is was her salvation. Andre/OC Warning: foul language, abuse, and implied rape.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – So, a new story. I have watched this movie a few times, and I gotta say, It's up there with Remember the Titans for me.**

**Warning – rating for foul language, violence, and reference to rape**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Freedom Writers.**

I couldn't remember I time when I felt safe. Around here if you're black, Asian, or Latino, you're in the middle of a war. If you're white, people believe that you think your better than everyone else, but that's not true.

When you're white, in a neighborhood like this, you're never safe. Yeah, we're usually in the advanced classes, but that's usually because we can afford the education. Some of us.

But being white in a place like Long Beach means always being afraid that you'll piss off the wrong people, or get caught in the crossfire of another gun fight.

* * *

Freshman year, 1994. I started Woodrow Wilson High School. My morning is spent making breakfast and waking my sister, getting her ready to spend the day with Ms. Ray, because Father would never take care of her, and she was only a few months old.

In Long Beach, teenagers are pack creatures. You have to have your gang to have you back, or you're as good as dead. I have no friends.

I missed almost a semester of school last year, and so everyone I knew, though I had no friends, was in honors classes while I was in the 'dumb' class.

I didn't want to go to class. I would be one of the only, if not the only, white kid in it. And it wasn't safe. But as we were ushered into class, I quickly made my way to the front, to avoid trouble, but the far corner, to avoid attention.

People quickly filed in and sat with their pack. Asians, blacks, and Latinos. There was one other white kid. Ben Daniels, I think. His friends used to bully me, before the integration.

The English teacher was clearly inexperienced, because as everyone came in and sat down and talked with their pack, her smile dropped and she looked extremely nervous. She was white, but rick white. Pearl necklace and earrings, and a clean red suit.

At least, clean except for the smudge of white chalk on her butt.

"Hey girl, you wanna give me some fries with that shake?" one of the black guys jeered at Ms. G. I couldn't read her cursive on the board, so I couldn't tell her name.

He high-fived his buddy and they stared singing 'fries with a shake' over and over as Ms. G turned around with a smile on her face. I rolled my eyes, she wouldn't last long.

"My name is Erin Gruwell. Welcome to freshman English" she said as the class went quiet for a second. Then, Ms. G started taking role, not that anyone could really hear her. "Brandy Ross" Ms. G read off. A quiet black girl raised her hand.

Gloria Munez" a Latino girl chewing gum and flipping through a magazine lazily raised her hand.

"Alejandro Santiago"

"Andre Bryant" I looked over my shoulder. He was black, hiding under the hood of his heavy jacket, in jeans just like everyone else.

"Eva Benitez" Ms. G said, pronouncing it 'E-va', with a hard 'e'.

"A-va" Eva correct Ms. G's pronunciation quickly, causing everyone to look at her. "Not E-va"

"A-va" Ms. G nodded, looking back at her list. "I have to go to the bathroom" Eva said, getting up and walking out of the room. "Okay" Ms. G agreed, "May sure that you-"

"I know" Eva dismissed her, grabbing the hall pass on her way out. Ms. G tried to keep her composure as she continued. "Ben Daniels" the only other white kid raised his hand.

"Paige Mallark" I looked up and hesitantly raised my hand, hoping it was just high enough to get Ms. G's attention. Thankfully, she looked over at me and I could quickly lower my hand.

"Sindy…" I could catch her butchering the girl's last name. One of the Asian girls looking at Ms. G from over her shoulder. "I'm right here"

"Is that correct?" Ms. G at least asked. The girl nodded as Ms. G moved on.

"Jamal Hill" it was the kid that had asked for fries. "Man, what am I doing in here? Man, this whole ghetto ass class got people in here lookin' like a bad rerun of cops!" he joked with his pack while they laughed. Everyone else looked at him in silence.

"Are you Jamal?" Ms. G asked pleasantly.

"Yeah"

"Well, for some reason, they have you registered for this class" I rolled my eyes at how naïve she was. Hopefully she'll get it soon, and I won't have to deal with some 'we're all equals, so you should all participate' naïve little chick.

"Man, that's some bull" Jamal protested.

"It's the dumb class, cuz" André spoke up, repeating my earlier thoughts. "It means you're too dumb"

"Man, say it to my face, cuz" Jamal laughed.

"I just did. See what I mean? Dumb?" I smiled at Andre's wit. He was smart, although he had too much attitude for it to do him much good. Jamal stood up. "Man, I know you ain't talking to me"

Andre rolled his eyes. "Look, homie, I'll beat that ass, homeboy" Jamal told him, pissed off. I moved as close as I could to the wall to my left, away from the impeding fight. I tried to open the window next to me a crack, so if it got real bad, I could get out.

"Can you please sit back down!" Ms. G tried to order over Jamal's voice, but it wasn't working. Others were standing up, ready for a fight.

I closed my eyes as I heard people standing and moving around, and loud voices. The sounds were much to familiar. I could almost feel the burn of that scars as I heard the shouting and hitting.

I opened my eyes as the security guard came in and broke Jamal and Andre up. Slowly, they sat down, but I'd had enough of this. I dumped my stuff in my bag and stood up, walking out of the room and towards my next class. I was so done with this.

I stopped outside the door and slid down the wall, onto my butt, my bag next to me. I reached for the chain around my neck and lifted the locket that I had stolen to my hands, slowly opening it. Inside was a picture of Madison.

On one side was her when she was fist born. The other side I was saving for a few years from now, when she was older, to compare.

A few tears slid down my face as I thought of her. I needed to get her out, but I didn't know how. I wasn't even sixteen yet! I couldn't take care of a baby!

* * *

"Settle down" Ms. G said the next day. "Let's go over the first name on the list. Homer's, the Odyssey" she wrote it out on the board.

Great. I'd already read it.

"I know Homer the Simpson" Marcus joked from the back of the room. That got a few laughs, and I smiled.

"No, this Homer was ancient Greek, but maybe he was bald just like Homer Simpson" Ms. G laughed, trying to get in on the joke. I groaned, barely keeping it silent at her lame attempt.

A few others rolled their eyes and fake-laughed, easily letting her know that her attempt was lame, but she still laughed. "Okay…" she taught for a few, and then had everyone start working in the workbooks, but no one was really working.

I finished my work quickly, as I already knew the story, and was now reading out of an old, battered book that I had kept hidden from my father.

"Quietly, please" Ms. G asked while she was helping ben.

Suddenly, Gloria stood and yelled, "Ms. Gruwell, he took my damn bag!" pointing at Jamal.

Jamal stood as well. I didn't do nothin' to your damn bag" he denied.

"Yeah, I say you" Gloria said, pushing his back, although it was gentle. "Jamal" Ms. Go called over their raised voices. "Jamal, get her backpack" Ms. G knew it was him.

Jamal rolled his eyes and walked over to where he had stashed it. "Okay…" but before Ms. G could continue, there was screaming and the sounds of gunshots.

I gasped, and everyone went silent. I carefully put my bookmark in my book and put my book away. I was shaking, badly, the sounds too familiar. Ms. G went towards the door to see what was going on.

**3****rd**** POV**

Some of the kids exchanged looks, knowing what was most likely going on. But Andre happened to look over at where those two white kids sat. That Ben kid was sitting there, looking nervous, but it was that Mallark girl that surprised him.

Her eyes were wide with terror, and she was trembling. Her skin was white, and her knuckles were even whiter from how tightly her fists were clenched.

The alarm sounded, and everyone ran out of that classroom, and out of the school. First one out of the door, though she wasn't standing and she was the furthest from it, was Mallark. Andre had never seen a girl move that fast, even from a bullet.

A few of the kids stayed seated, and Ms. G tried to keep them in the classroom, but anybody that knew what was going on wasn't gonna stay in no classroom. They were either gonna run, or fight.

Andre felt someone slam into his as he stood outside, watching the fighting. He heard the thud of something being dropped. He looked own and saw a head of dark hair and black clothes on the floor, trying to gather her things quickly.

He saw a battered book laying further away, closer to the fighting crowd. He grabbed in and knelt down next to the girl. She looked up and saw Mallark's pale face and wide, fearful eyes staring at him.

He silently handed her the book. He r hand shot out and quickly took it from him, jamming it into her bag before she stood.

She hesitated for a moment, staring into his eyes, but she turned and fled, sprinting away from the school.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – graciegirl000, DreamingUntilForever11, I'm really glad you like this movie too. I'm having a lot of fun writing this.**

* * *

The next morning, Andre glanced over and saw that Mallark had a hoodie with the hood up, hiding her face, and basically all of her skin. She was turned away from the class, so no one but Ms. G could see her face, and Ms. G wasn't paying attention to her.

Instead, Ms. G turned on a boom box, and rap started playing, making everyone looked at her.

"I have this idea. We're going to be covering poetry. Who here likes…" the next work that came out of Ms. G's mouth didn't even seem like a real word.

"It's Tupac" Jamal corrected her. This woman had no business with rap music.

"Tupac, excuse me" Ms. G allowed him to correct her. "Raise your hand"

Only about five kids raised their hands. "Really" Ms. G turned off the music, "I thought there'd be more fans. I have the lyrics of the song printed out" she said, handing out papers.

Mallark, since she was in the front of her row, was handed the papers. She kept her head down as she handed the papers to the person behind her, the deep purple marks on her wrists were exposed.

Paige looked at the guy behind her, afraid he'd say something, but he just rolled his eyes. Her shoulders slumped in relief and she turned forward again.

"I want you to listen to this phrase I have up on the board, it's an example of an internal rhyme" Ms. G explained. "What he does is very sophisticated and cool, actually"

"'Man child in the promised land couldn't afford many heroes. Moms was there only when pops was a no-show'" André quoted.

"'And Oh, I guess ya didn't know that I would grow to be so strong, lookin' kinda pale was it the ale that pops was wrong" Marcus continued.

"'Where was the money that you sent you would send me, talked on the phone and ya sounded so friendly'" Jamal finished.

"Like we don't know Tupac" André said.

"White girl gonna teach us about rap?" Marcus said.

"'Ask about school and my welfare, but it's clear, you ain't sincere, hey who the hell cares, You think I'm blind but this time I see ya comin Jack, You grabbed your coat leathers broke, now ain't no runnin back'"

Everyone looked over to the corner, where Mallark stood, reciting the lyrics as if they were her own. She pushed her hood back, showing red marks around her face, deep bags under her eyes, and bruises peeking out beneath the high collar of her shirt, meaning she had been choked.

"Yeah, I'm white. Doesn't mean you know shit about me" she spat. Ms. G put a hand on her shoulder, but she flinched hard, and Ms. G quickly removed her hand. Mallark dropped back into the seat hard and put her hood back up.

Ms. G was smiling, though it was slightly uneasy now. "See, what I was trying to do, was" but Ms. G was cut off again.

"You have no idea what you're doing up there, do you?" Eva asked her. The class 'ooh'ed. "You ever been a teacher before?"

"Ooh, she just got nailed" Jamal cheered, high fiving his friends around him.

"Alright Jamal" Ms. G said, but it was too loud, and he was ignoring her. "Jamal, enough!" everyone went silent and Jamal turned to look at her. Ms. G was no longer smiling.

"You know, I want you to move to this front seat here, right now" she said, pointing to the seat in front of her, where Ben was sitting.

'What?"

"Come on" she insisted.

Jamal sat in his own seat. "I am sick of these antics in _my_ classroom" Ms. G said, her voice steady but her face angry.

Jamal smirked. "Well there you are. I was wondering when you would lose that damn smile."

"Switch with Ben. Come on" Ms. G insisted. "I can't go back there alone" ben told her quietly, afraid. "You'll be fine" Ms. G insisted, clueless.

"No, it won't" Bed told her.

"I'm not sitting near him" Sindy told Ms. G.

"Then why don't you sit back here" Jamal suggested, but Sindy was pissed. "I'm not sitting back there, alone" she said, standing.

"Shut up" Jamal told her. Sindy's pack stood, as did Jamal, just itching for a fight.

"Alright, you know what? I want you all," she said, gesturing to the people next to the windows," to move to this side of the room" she gestured towards the opposite wall. "You in the back, up here, Sindy and all of you, move to the back"

Everyone got up and moved where she told them. It wasn't without tense gestures and mocking words and a few refused to move. Which is how Mallark ended up next to Andre.

"Everyone happy with the new borders?" Ms. G asked sarcastically.

* * *

As class went on, people skipped, left in the middle of class, and started fights. Ms. G had no control over her class.

Andre watched Mallark. She didn't speak up much anymore, and everybody left her alone. She was white, what did she know?

But he saw the bruises, the cuts, and the scars. He noticed how she flinched when she heard certain sounds, or when things got too loud.

In turn, Paige was noticing Andre. He was a loner, not really park of the pack. He was smart, but didn't show it. He was just playing it cool, not usually drawing attention to himself. He easily switched between fighting with Jamal and fighting against Jamal.

They didn't talk, not usually. But they had a truce. He didn't bother her, and she didn't bother him. She usually finished early, and he watched as she pulled out what seemed like a different book every day.

But that old, battered book he'd seen her with that day at the beginning of school appeared again and again in her hand.

Paige hurried home, stopping at Ms. Ray's to pick up Madison. Madison smiled at her and instantly reached for Paige. Ms. Ray gave Paige a sympathetic smile as she handed the baby over.

"Thank you. For watching her" Paige thanked her quietly. Ms. Ray nodded. "She's a sweet baby. Very pretty. Just like her mother" Paige smiled softly at Madison.

"Hopefully she'll get to grow up better" Paige said before heading home.

She crept inside quietly, trying not to wake her father, who was sitting, passed out, in front of the TV, beer bottles littering the floor. Paige put Madison in her room and turned on some soft music to keep her quiet. She went back to the front room and cleaned up.

When Paige went to sleep, trying not to think about the shouting and the pain, she looked at Madison. That Perfect little girl.

* * *

That morning in class, Ms. G wrote a couple phrases on the board that were grammatically incorrect. Paige ignored the sniggering of her classmates as they passed around a note.

"Ms. G finished writing and turned to the class. "Yes?" she looked at a guy in the back who had raised his hand, but he shook his head; he was only stretching.

"Alright. Umm… Gloria, please read the first sentence on the board" Ms. G said to her.

"Why me?" Gloria asked, as if she had been asked to do something completely disgusting.

"Because I know how much you love to read. Close the magazine" Gloria looked pissed, but at least Ms. G had some control over her classroom now, if only a little.

"'Odysseus didn't have no sense of direction?'" Gloria read quickly. Ms. G nodded. "Now, none of these sentences are correct. I'd like you to rewrite these sentences using proper tenses and spelling on page four of your workbook" Ms. G directed.

Everyone watched as Jamal opened the note eagerly, only for his smile to fade. She shrunk down into his seat and slowly put his hat on.

Paige had a feeling she knew what they had written or drawn. It sickened her.

"What's going on?" Ms. G asked, noticing Jamal's devastated look, and the snickering of almost everyone.

"What is that? Give it to me" she took the paper away from Jamal. Most of the kids were still laughing, but Ms. G looked absolutely pissed.

"What is this?" she asked, furious.

"Just leave it alone" Jamal told her, his voice strong. Paige looked at him sadly. He had earned some of her respect just y that small fact alone.

"You think this is funny?" Ms. G demanded as she stepped over to where the note had started. "Tito. Would this be funny if it were a picture of you?"

"It ain't" he said stupidly. Ms. G was silent for a moment, before walking back to the center of the room and ordering firmly, "Close the workbooks."

Everyone shut their books, wondering what she was going to do now.

"Maybe we should talk about art. Tito's got real talent, don't you think?" Ms. G said. Everyone laughed and agreed happily.

"You know something? I saw a picture just like this once, in a museum. Only it wasn't a black man, it was a Jewish man. And instead of the big lips he had a really big nose, like a rat's nose.

"But he wasn't just one particular Jewish man. This was a drawing of all Jews. And these drawings were put in the newspapers by the most famous gang in history" the idiots laughed and cheered, as if that was cool.

"You think you know all about gangs? You're amateurs. This gang will put you all to shame.

"And they started out poor and angry and everybody looked down on them. Until one man decided to give them some pride, an identity, and somebody to blame.

"You take over neighborhoods? That's nothing compared to them. They took over countries. You want to know how? They just wiped out everybody else." Everyone nodded and agreed, like 'that's how it should be done'.

"Yeah, they wiped out everybody they didn't like and everybody they blamed for their life being hard. And one of the ways they did it was by doing this: see, they print pictures like this in the newspapers, Jewish people with big, long noses... blacks with big, fat lips.

"They'd also published scientific evidence that proved that Jews and blacks were the lowest form of human species. Jews and blacks were more like animals.

"And because they were just like animals it didn't matter if they lived or died. In fact, life would be a whole lot better if they were all dead.

"That's how a holocaust happens. And that's what you all think of each other" Ms. G said. That last comment was a little too far.

"You don't know nothing, home girl" Marcus yelled, but Ms. G yelled right back. "No, I don't Marcus, so why don't you explain it to me?"

"I ain't explainin' it to you" Marcus told her, and everyone in class was making noise, making Paige flinch. Her shoulders slumped when she saw the tears in Jamal's eyes.

"Alright, alright, alright!" Ms. G called, getting everyone quiet again. "So, what you're saying is, if the Latinos weren't here, or the Cambodians or the blacks or the whites or whoever 'they' are, if they weren't here, everything would be better for you. Isn't that right?"

Everyone agreed readily. Ms. G nodded. "Right. It starts with a drawing like this. And then some kid dies in a drive-by, never even knowing what hit him"

"You don't know nothing" Eva snapped at her, pissed. She sat up. "You don't know the pain we feel. You don't know what we gotta do. You got no respect for how we live. You got us in here, teaching us this grammar stuff. And then we gotta out there again, and what are you telling me about that, huh? What are you doing in here that makes one bit of difference in my life?"

"You don't feel respected. Is that what you're saying, Eva?" Ms. G asked, her voice void of emotion. "Well, maybe you're not. But to get respect, you have to give it"

"That's bull" Andre spoke up.

"What?" Ms. G actually sounded offended. Paige snorted.

"Why should I give you my respect to you? Because you're a teacher? I don't know you. How do I know you're not a liar standing up there. How do I know you're not a bad person standing up there? I'm not just gonna give you my respect because you're called a teacher." Andre told her.

"White people are always wanting their respect, like they deserve it for free." Eva hissed.

"I'm a teacher" Ms. G said. "It doesn't matter what color I am"

"It's all about color. It's about people deciding what you deserve, about people wanting what they don't deserve. About whites thinking they own this world no matter what. You see, I hate white people" Eva told her.

"You hate me?" Ms. G asked.

"Yeah"

"You don't even know me" Ms. G said.

"I know what you can do. I saw white cops shoot my friend in the back for reaching into his pocket, his pocket! I saw white cops break into my house and take my father away for no REASON except they feel like it! Except because they can! And they can, because they're white. So I HATE white people on sight!" Eva was crying.

"Ben, do you have anything to say?" Ms. G asked. Why was she singling him out?

"Can I please get out of here?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Lady, stop acting like you're trying to understand out situation" Marcus demanded. "You're just doing you little babysittin' up there"

"That's all you think this is?" Ms. G asked.

"It ain't nothing else!" Marcus told her. "When I look out in the world I don't see nobody that looks like me with their pockets full unless they're rapping a lyric or dibbling a ball. So what else you got in here for me?"

"And what if you can't wrap a lyric or dribble a ball?" Ms. G demanded.

"It ain't this" Andre told her, looking at er for a moment before meeting Paige's eyes. "I know that much"

"Damn right" Marcus agreed.

"And you all think you're going to make it to graduation like this?" Ms. G asked.

"I made it to high school, ain't nobody stop me!" Andre shouted.

"Lady, I'm lucky if I make it to eighteen! We're in a war. We're graduation every day we live because ain't afraid to die, protecting our own. At least when you die for your own, you die with respect. You die a warrior" Marcus yelled.

"So when you're dead, you'll get respect. Is that what you think?" Ms. G asked. Everyone agreed.

"You know what's gonna happen when you die? You're gonna rot in the ground. And people are gonna go on living. They're gonna forget all about you. And when you rot, do you think it's gonna matter if you were an original gangster? You're dead. And nobody, nobody, is gonna want to remember you because all you left behind in this world is this" she held up that damn drawing again.

Everyone was silent. Then, slowly, that kid that stretched raised his hand. Ms. G smiled. "You're raising your hand?" she asked in disbelief.

"That thing that you said before, "he said, putting his hand down, "The Halocost?"

"Holocaust, yes" Ms. G nodded.

"What is that?" he asked gently, no disrespectful tone in his voice at all.

Ms. G looked saddened by the students ignorance. "Raise your hand if you know what the Holocaust is" she instructed. No one raised their hands, not even Mallark, at first. Then Ben and Paige slowly raised their hands.

"Raise your hand if anyone in this classroom has ever been shot at" everyone's hand went up, and Ben's fell, but Paige's hand stayed high in the air. Andre looked at her in surprise. White girl got shot at?

It was a truly saddening sight, to see all those hands.


	3. Chapter 3

The desks were pushed against the walls, and everyone was standing on either side while Ms. G put a line of fat, red tape across the floor.

"We're gonna play a game, alright?" she told everyone. "It's a lot of fun, I promise" everyone groaned and rolled their eyes.

"Look, you can either sit in your seats reading those workbooks, or you can play a game" Ms. G explained, and suddenly everyone wanted to play.

"Either way, you're in here till the bell rings. Okay, this is called the Line Game. I'm going to ask you a question. If that question applies to you, you step onto the line and then step back away for the next question. Easy, right?" everyone nodded.

"First question: how many of you have the new Snoop Dogg album" Ms. G asked. Everyone stepped onto the line, but Paige and Ben.

"Okay, back away. Nest Question. How many of you have seen Boys in the Hood?" again, everyone but Paige and Ben stepped onto the line.

"Next question: how many of you live in the Projects?" fewer people stepped onto the line.

"How many of you know someone, a friend or relative, that was or is in juvenile hall or jail?" Ms. Go asked. Fewer again, but still too many.

"How many of you have been in juvenile hall or jail, for any length of time?" there were very few on the line this time.

"Does a refugee camp count?" Sindy asked, drawing attention. Ms. G gave her a contemplative look. "You decide." Sindy stepped onto the line.

"How many of you know where to get drugs right now" Paige laughed slightly when Ben eagerly moved to the line. Andre looked over at her and smiled slightly. White girl needed to smile more.

"How many of you know someone in a gang?" almost everyone but Paige and Ben stepped onto the line again.

"How many of you are gang members?" everyone looked at Ms. G like she was crazy and quickly got of the line.

"Okay, that was a stupid question, wasn't it? Not allowed gang affiliations in school. I apologize for asking. My badness" Paige snorted and everyone laughed at Ms. G's wording.

"Okay. Now I'm going to ask you a more serious question." Everyone went silent. "Stand on the line if you've lost a friend to gang violence."

Everyone stood on the line, it seemed. Paige looked at Andre from her place in the corner. It was very solemn.

"Stay on the line if you've lost more than one friend" only a few left the line, maybe three total.

"Three" a few more, but there was still a large amount of people on the line.

"Four or more" slowly, a few more people left the line, including Andre. Paige was sad for those people, but she was also getting angry. Gangs, that's all anyone cared about! Even the people trying to fix everything!

"Okay, I'd like us to pay respect to those people now. Wherever you are, just speak their name" Paige looked around as everyone spoke the names of the people they had lost.

No one cared about the people lost outside of gang violence. No one cared about the people that couldn't fight back. The people that can't escape.

Slowly, people left the line. It became silent. So, when the door to the classroom hit the wall with a solid 'thud', everyone jumped and looked at the door. Paige was gone, and there was the sound of footsteps running down the hall.

"I'll get her" Andre said before Ms. G could say anything, running after the girl.

Andre found Paige storming down the hall, getting ready to leave school grounds, again. Thankfully, she wasn't running anymore. "Whoa" he said, grabbing Paige's arm to get her to stop, trying to ignore the flinch.

"What's your problem? Where you think you're going?" he asked her, jerking her arm so she was facing him.

"What do you care? You all have your own precious problems to deal with" Paige spat, yanking her arm from his grasp.

"Shouldn't you be happy? I didn't see you on that line once" Andre snapped at her, grabbing her arm again. Paige glared at him.

"I wasn't on that line because I can't afford to buy music. I wasn't on that line because I'm not allowed to watch TV. I wasn't on that line because my father's hates the Projects. I don't know anyone that's gone to jail or Juvie since I've only ever had my father.

"I haven't gone to Juvie because I can't leave my sister behind. I can't afford drugs, and I can't allow myself to succumb to the effects. I don't know anybody, so how would I know people in a gang? And I don't have friends to die from gang violence.

"There has only been one person that cared about me. My mom died shortly after giving birth to me, and it wasn't from gang violence. So no, I didn't step on the line. But that doesn't mean that I haven't lost people too" Paige ranted, tears streaming down her face.

Andre was speechless for a moment, processing her words. "If your mom died after giving birth to you, then how is you sister…?" Andre trailed off, not quite sure how to ask his question.

Paige sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "She's my half-sister" she left it at that.

Andre didn't know what to say, so he just let go of her arm and wrapped his arms around her. Paige forgot about the packs and the fighting and everything for that moment, and buried her head into his chest and cried.

Slowly, after her tears slowed to a near stop, she pulled away. "Sorry" she sniffed, wiping at her eyes again. Andre smiled slightly. "It's alright" he told her, letting her out of his arms. He glanced back at the door to 203. "We should probably get back, though"

Andre led Paige back to the class. Ms. G looked at Paige, silently asking if she was alright. Paige nodded. Ms. G gave her a small smile, and turned back to the class.

"I have something for each of you" she went to her desk and lifted two brown paper bags on to her desk.

"Everyone has their own story" she said, digging into the bags. "And it's important for you to tell your own story, even to yourself" she said, pulling out stacks of composition notebooks.

"So, what we're going to do is, we're going to write every day in these journals. You can write about anything you want; the past, the present, the future. You can write it like a diary or songs, poems, any good thing, bad thing, anything. But, you have to write every day.

"Keep a pen nearby, whenever you feel the inspiration, and they won't be graded. How can I give an A or a B for righting the truth, right? And I will not read them, unless you give me permission. I will need to see that you've made an entry, but I'll just skim to see that you wrote that day.

"Now, if you want me to read it, I have" she jogged over to a closet-thing in the wall, "a cabinet over here that has a lock on it. I will keep it open during class and you can leave your diary there if you want me to read it. I will lock this cabinet at the end of every class. Okay?" Ms. G went back to the front of the room.

"So, you can each come up, one by one, and take your own journal" Ms. G looked so excited, but no one was going up to take a journal. "Whenever you're ready" Ms. G prodded.

Ms. G took the bags off her desk and sat down in her chair. Slowly, Brandy went up and grabbed a journal.

One by one, everyone went up to grab a journal. André noticed that Paige wasn't moving towards the desk, and he caught her gaze, nodding towards it. Paige shook her head. Andre rolled his eyes and grabbed two when he went up. He waked straight to Paige and handed he the second journal.

Paige rolled her eyes but smiled as she took the journal from him.

* * *

_All anyone talks about is the rich white people, or the gangs. No one cares about people like me, who deal with our own kind of pain, our own war._

_I'm stuck here in a class with people that want me dead or just gone, when I have a baby girl at home to take care of. I try to keep my Father happy, but every day I am simply thankful; that it's me, and not Madison._

_This is a crazy world, and all I want to be free of it. But I have to be strong. For Madison._

* * *

Everyone sat quietly while Ms. G passed out the book. There was a quiet murmur as everyone smelled and felt the books. They were brand new. None of them had ever felt something brand new, not for school.

"Okay guys, gals. The only problem with this book is, it's about a gang member and has violence in it, so you may not be able to read it as part of the curriculum. So, I am going to try my best to get permission" Ms. G explained.

Andre glanced over at Paige, who was already several pages into the book, her fingers subconsciously stroking the new pages.

He smiled to himself as he watched how absorbed she was in the story. Books, he had learned, were her escape from life.

* * *

**Spring Semester, freshman year.**

As they all met at the bus, people starred as Paige went to Ms. G with a bundle in her arms. "Ms. G" Ms. G turned to Paige. "I couldn't leave her at home. I'm sorry" Ms. G looked down and noticed that inside the bundle of blankets was a small baby.

"It's alright, what's her name?" Ms. G smiled at the baby. "Madison. She's only a few months old, and the woman in my building that usually watches her couldn't keep her late" Paige explained.

Paige got on the bus and sat next to Andre. "Hey, who's that?" Andre asked, noticing the bundle in Paige's arms.

"This is Madison, my half-sister." Paige smiled happier than Andre had ever seen as she grabbed the baby's hand and waved it at him. He smiled and looked down at the little girl.

"You know, she looks a lot like you" he told her, noticing the familiar features. "Besides being a baby and all" he added. Paige laughed. "Well, she's a little darling" Paige said, shifting her hold on the baby.

As they rode to the museum, Andre and Paige continued to talk and coo at the baby. Madison eventually fell asleep, just as they arrived.

"Here, let me take that" Andre grabbed the bag of baby stuff before Paige could lift it up. She smiled brightly at him. "Thank you. Are you sure you wanna carry around a baby bag?" Andre nodded. "Sure, after all, you're the one carrying the actual baby"

_Andre: At the beginning of the tour, they give you a card with a child's picture on it. You can find out who they were, and what camp they were sent to. At the end of the tour, you can find out if they survived. I got a little girl from Italy._

André felt a hand on his arm and looked up. Paige smiled at him, holding up her car. It was a young girl as well. "She reminds me of Madison" Paige told him as she put her card into the machine next to his, holding tightly to the baby with one hand.

Andre put an arm around her, giving her some comfort. On the wall behind the machines, there were dozens of picture of these young kids. Looking at them, and knowing a bit of what must have happened, made them feel so sad.

_Paige: I felt my heart tighten as we looked around at the images of the children, and those pictures of the Jews with large noses that Ms. G had told us about. Old newspaper articles and video clips of what happened. My throat was tight the entire tour._

They walked around, watching videos of what happened to different people, watching slides of pictures and articles from that time period.

Andre stayed close to Paige, and they always seemed to have some sort of contact. Jamal watched them for a bit, but he saw how touched Paige was by everything, and how she treated Andre. He watched as Andre interacted with the baby Paige was toting around.

He smiled a little. Everyone loved a baby.

Paige felt another arm on her shoulder when they stopped at the two opening labeled 'Children and others' and 'able-bodied'. She looked behind her to see Jamal smiling slightly at her. She smiled back and put her hand over his before turning forward again.

_My little boy died. He got off the train and they killed him. I don't know why it bothered me so much, I've seen death all my life. But this little boy was only five._

They walked together into the hotel, looking around in wonder. None of them had ever seen something so grand as the hotel.

_Andre: Ms. G had a beautiful dinner for us at the hotel where she works. She invited real Holocaust survivors from the museum to meet us. There was Elizabeth Mann, Gloria Ungar, Eddie Ilam, and Renee Firestone. She lost her whole family in the camps. She came to this country with four dollars in her pocket and a newborn baby. I'll never forget these people. I can't believe M. G did all this for us._

Andre listened intently to Renee Firestone. But as he listened, he held tightly to Paige's hand.

As they left, Madison was sound asleep, and everyone was thinking about what they had heard. "Do you want to hold her?" Andre looked up at Paige's voice. "What?"

"Do you want to hold Madison for a bit?" she offered. "Umm…" Andre was nervous, he'd never been near a baby before. "Here, bend your arm like that, to support her head. Now use your other arm to hold her body, like that" Before he knew it, Andre was holding onto Madison.

He peered down at her while she was sleeping, and couldn't help but smile. Then, he looked up at Paige, and saw she was smiling at him.

_Andre: I'm glad that Ms. G had brought us together. If it hadn't been for her, I would never have met Madison, or befriended Paige. And I would never want to miss this experience._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N –XxRebelWriterxX: you saw this in your English class? I'm surprised, I've never heard of it before. Tell your teacher "rock on" for me.**

* * *

**Sophomore year, fall semester.**

_Victoria: That's it, if I don't change classes, I'm gonna hurt this fool. Teachers treat me like I'm some kind of Rosetta Stone for African Americans. What, black people all learn how to read and we all miraculously come to the same conclusion? At that point, I decided to check out my friend Brandy's English class._

Everyone was waiting outside the classroom for Ms. G to open the door. They all greeted each other, not caring about race.

Paige smiled as she saw Ben and Marcus talking to each other.

"Hey, girl" Paige grinned as Andre pulled her into a hug. "How's the munchkin?" Ever since that night at the museum, Andre had been rather fond of Madison. They had spent a lot of the summer together, taking care of her.

"She's doing good. I can't believe it's been over a year" Paige sighed. Madison was growing up too fast.

"Hey, Paige" Paige turned and smiled at Brandy. "Hey, what's up?" Paige smiled, hugging the other girl. "It's alright."

"How's your mom?" Paige asked. Brandy was slightly touched that Paige asked.

"She's okay, right now. Paige, I'd like you to meet my friend Victoria. She's gonna check out the class" Paige turned to another black girl. "Hey, haven't seen you around. Are you new?"

Victoria smiled slightly at the white girl, a little uncomfortable, yet in awe of how easily the different races interacted with each other.

"I'm in Mr. Gelford's class" Victoria explained. Paige nodded. "Ah, honors student. Well, everyone says this is the dumb class, but honestly, I don't think so. I think you'll like our class" Paige grinned at her, and Victoria was slightly surprised when Andre put an arm around Paige.

"Okay everybody" Ms. G said, opening the door. "Ready?"

"Hey Ms. G" people greeted as they entered the classroom. Ms. G smiled as Andre and Paige came through. "How's Madison?" Ms. G asked before they completely entered the room. Paige smiled, something she did much more of now. "She's good"

People looked around in wonder at the giant banner that read 'TOAST FOR CHANGE' and the two, long tables under it. One table was covered with small glasses and bottles of sparkling cider, while the other was completely covered with Border's book bags.

"Okay, guys, gals, listen up. This is what I want you to do" Ms. G called as the bell rang. "I want each of you to step up and take one of these Borders bags, which contain the four books we're gonna read this semester" there was excited voices, so very different from last year.

Even Jamal and Gloria seemed slightly excited.

"They are very special books and they each remind me in some way of each of you" Ms. G told them. "Ahh!" everyone cheered. All joking aside, they were touched.

Victoria watched, she couldn't believe the atmosphere in this classroom. No one in her class was excited to read books like these guys were! This was the 'dumb class' supposedly.

"But, before you take these books, I want you to take one of these glasses of sparkling cider, and I want each of you to make a toast. We're each going to make a toast for change.

"And what that means is, from this moment on, every voice that told you 'you can't' is silenced. Every reason that tells you things will never change disappears. And the person you were before this moment? That person's turn is over.

"Okay? Okay, you ready to get this partah goin' on?" Ms. G cheered. Everyone groaned and complained loudly, and everyone laughed, including Ms. G. "What?" Ms. G smiled.

When it started to quiet down, Gloria went up and grabbed a glass. "Man, I've had a boyfriend since I was, like, eleven, you know?" Everyone nodded. "I believe you" Jamal joked.

"Shut up" Gloria laughed. "Okay, so I was always the person that was going to be pregnant before I turned sixteen and drop out, like my mom" Gloria paused for a moment, then raised her glass. "Ain't gonna happen"

"Nobody ever listens to a teenager" Brandy held up her glass. "Everybody thinks you should be happy just because you're young. They don't see the wars that we fight every single day. And one day my war will end, and I will not die. And I will not tolerate abuse from anyone" she looked back at Ms. G. "I am strong"

"My mom's kicking me out when I got dropped into the gang life" Marcus said. "But I'd like her to see me graduate. I'd like to be eighteen"

From behind the crowd, Miguel raised his hand and moved towards the front. "Ms. G. Can I read something from my diary?" he asked.

"That'd be great" she smiled at him.

"Who's he?" Jamal asked quietly to Gloria and Paige.

"Man, he's been with us since freshman year, fool" she mocked Jamal.

"What's his name?" Jamal asked her again.

"I don't know" she hissed quietly.

"His name is Miguel" Paige told them, "now shush"

Miguel began to read. "'_the summer was the worst summer of my short fourteen years of life. It all started with a phone call. My mother was crying and begging, asking for more time, as if gasping for her last breath of fresh air. _

"'_She held me as tightly as she could and cried, her tears hit my shirt like bullets and told me we were being evicted._

"'_She kept apologizing to me. I thought "I have no home. I should have asked for something less expensive at Christmas. At the morning of the eviction, a hard knock on the door woke me up. The Sherriff was there to do his job._

"'_I looked up at the sky, waiting for something to happen. My mother has no family to lean on, no money coming in. Why bother coming to school and getting good grades if I'm homeless?'"_

Paige was sniffling, and Andre grabbed her hand in put a hand on her shoulder, and she and Gloria wrapped arms around each other's waists.

"'_The bus stops in front of the school, I feel like throwing up. I'm wearing clothes from last year, some old shoes, same old haircut. I kept thinking I'd get laughed at. Instead, I am greeted by a couple of friends who were in my English class last year._

"'_And it hits me: Mrs. Gruwell, my crazy English teacher from last year, is the only person who made me think of hope. Talking to friends about last year's English and our trips, I began to feel better. _

"'_I receive my schedule, and the first teacher is Mrs. Gruwell, room 203. I walk into the room and feel as if all the problems in life are not so important anymore. I am home'"_ Miguel shuts his journal and there is silent, not a dry eye in the room.

"Yes you are" Ms. G whispers.

Paige walks up and hugs Miguel, who hugs her back tightly. Paige let's go and turns to Ms. G. "May I read something as well, Ms. G?"

Ms. G is surprised, but nods.

Paige grabs her book and opens it to a heavily decorated page.

"'_I never believe that I would find someone that cared about me. The only person that ever cared for me was my mother, and she died so many years ago. I grew up with no mother, no money, no friends, and no hope._

"'_My freshman year, I was put into room 203 because I had missed almost an entire semester the year before, and couldn't bring my grades up. I feared that I would have to face abuse in the only place I had to escape the abuse from home._

'"_Those first few weeks I thought of nothing but leaving, of never coming back. I couldn't escape the violence, the yelling. Everyone was too blind to their own plight to see that we were all in some kind of pain._

"'_But then, Ms. G opened our eyes. She should us true torture, and showed us what life and respect really meant. People started talking to me, really listening to me. And suddenly, I felt hope. _

"'_Hope that someday, I could escape my home without taking my life, as I had thought of so often. Hope that I could be loved, someday. Hope that I won't have to feel my father's hands on me anymore._

"'_Hope that my daughter, my little Madison, no matter how she was brought into this world, would get to live without fear.'"_

There was silence as everyone took in what she had said, and admitted. Andre was frozen when he realized. "_She's my half-sister_" Paige had told him. Half-sister and daughter. It explained why Madison looked so much like Paige.

Tears were running down everyone's faces, and Gloria quickly walked over to Paige and wrapped her arms around her, able to relate to her pain, if only some-what.

Gloria pulled away slightly and Miguel hugged Paige again. Everyone followed their lead and hugged Miguel and Paige, showing support and care. Andre wrapped his arms tightly around Paige's waist and held her to him.

Marcus gave Miguel a fist-bump and patted Paige on the shoulder, showing his respect.

* * *

"Hey, hey Paige! Wait up!" Paige stopped and turned, her nose still in The Diary of Anne Frank. She finished her sentence and looked up and Andre as he stopped in front of her.

"Listen, about earlier, in class…. If something happens, with your dad? Well, I live on my own, since my brother and all, so if you ever need a place to go, you and Madison are welcome to stay with me" he told her hesitantly, not sure how she's take the offer.

Paige smiled softly. "You'd let a teenage mother and her baby stay with you?" she asked in slight disbelief.

Andre grinned at her. "Well, you're not just some teenage other. You're my friend, and a truly amazing girl" Paige blushed at Andre's words.

"Are you sure?" she asked him. Andre nodded. Paige paused for a moment. "Would you… come home with me today? To get Madison and our things?"

Andre smiled happily. "Yeah, sure, no problem. I'll meet you after school" Paige smiled and kissed his cheek before she lost her nervous. Andre froze in surprise, giving Paige time to run away.

Andre watched her walk away, a dopey smile on his face.

* * *

"Hey Andre" Andre spun around and saw Paige right behind him. "Hey girl" he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they started walking to her apartment complex.

"So, is there anything in particular I need to know before I start living with two females?" Andre said, half serious and half joking.

"Well, Madison is just starting to eat solids, so you better keep some applesauce or something on hand. Be prepared for messes and lots of dirty diapers. She's starting to sleep through the night, but…well, she's a great wake-up call, since kids get up so much earlier than us" Paige told him.

Paige stopped them and looked at Andre seriously. "I can take care of Madison. You're already doing so much, letting u stay with you, I mean. You don't have to…" Andre cut her off.

"I love Madison, and I have no problem helping take care of her. Mama needs a break every now and then" He laughed, wrapping his arm around her again, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Come on, we'll get our stuff first" Paige told his when she saw her apartment complex. She led him up the stairs and to her apartment. 'Shh" she put a finger over her lips. "He should be asleep, so be quiet" Andre nodded and she slowly opened the door.

Andre looked around as Paige led him to the room she and Madison shared. There were beer bottles everywhere, and the apartment stank. There were stains on the carpet and the TV was playing loudly.

Andre followed Paige into her room. It was cleaner and smelled better, but the door was damaged, probably from her father forcing his way into the room.

"Here" Paige whispered, handing Andre a large canvas bag. "Madison's things are in the chest. Can you pack them? It doesn't have to be neat" Andre nodded and started stuffing the baby things into the bag.

Paige grabbed another bag and put all of her clothes into it. She went into the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush, toothpaste, and other toiletries. She grabbed the baby powder and some foods for Madison from the kitchen.

"I got everything" she whispered as she came back into the room. Andre nodded. "I'm done to. If there's anything else, we can get if for you two later" Paige nodded, but then spotted the pen Madison played and slept in. She folded it up and put it in the travel bag.

"Ready?" Andre asked when she straightened up. Paige nodded.

They slowly crept out of the house, but unfortunate, daddy woke up.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" a loud voice demanded. Paige froze for a second in panic before running to the door. She managed to push Andre out and drop the bags before she was yanked back into the apartment by her hair.

Paige screamed in pain as she hit the floor. "What do you think you're doing, huh?" her father demanded again, his beer breath making her want to gag. Andre ran at him and pushed the fat man off of Paige.

Paige stood up and Andre grabbed her hand. They ran for the door as he father got up and ran for them, sounding like a charging bull.

Paige shut the door, and her father crashed into it. Not wasting a second, they grabbed the bag and ran down the stairs. "Come on, Madison" Paige was quiet as they slowed, walking as silently as possible.

Paige knocked on another apartment door, and an old woman answered the door. Paige instantly put her finger to her lips, and the woman nodded. She handed Madison to Paige, and Andre took the diaper bag.

They ran as fast as they could from the complex. Once they were a few blocks away, they slowed to a walk.

"I'm sorry" Paige gasped, clutching Madison tightly to her, but not crushing the baby.

Andre shook his head. "Hey, I'm just glad I got you out of there. Wish I had done it sooner" He smiled down at Madison, who grinned and giggled when she saw him. 'She likes you" Paige told him fondly.

"She better. I've been nothing but a gentleman to that little princess" Andre laughed.

They eventually reached his apartment. Madison was out. Andre put the pen together in the front room, and they put thick blankets on the bottom to cushion the floor before placing Madison into the pen.

We can unpack tomorrow, why don't you clean up and get some rest" Andre told her after a brief tour. Andre's apartment was a two bedroom, but the second room was his brothers. "You can have my room, and I'll take the couch" he told her.

Paige shook her head. "I'll stay in the living room. It'll feel a little weird not sharing a room with my daughter" Paige hesitated after the word. "It's so weird to call her that. I've always said she was my sister. Now, I can say it"

Andre rubbed her arm. "Get some rest." He left her to get some sleep.

* * *

When Andre woke up, he could smell breakfast. It took him a minute before remembering about Paige.

We walked into his kitchen and stopped short.

Madison was sitting on the floor, playing with a few toys. Paige was standing at the stove, making some eggs, toast already on the counter. But that's not what shocked him.

Paige was wearing shorts and a tanktop, sowing more skin than he had ever seem. He could see the bruises on her skin, but after a good night's sleep and a nice, long shower, they weren't as ugly or as gruesome as they could have been.

Andre had never gotten a good look at Paige's figure, she was always wearing dark, baggy clothes. Now he could see that pregnancy had not harmed her body. Her stomach was not flat, but it wasn't bulging. Her legs and arms were tones, and she was very slender, but at the same time very curvy.

What shocked Andre the most was that instead of the dark hair Paige had before, her hair was now a deep but shocking red. It was still ridiculously long and wavy, but the new color shocked him.

"Girl, what they hell happened to your head?" he said before he realized what he was saying.

Paige looked up at Andre and smiled. "Morning. I felt like I needed a change. What do you think?" Paige actually looked nervous as Andre looked her up and down.

Slowly, Andre walked over to her. He wrapped him arms around her waist and rested his head on top of hers, seeing as she was a head shorter than him. 'You look amazing, Paige" he told he sincerely.

Paige looked up at him and smiled brightly. Andre felt a pang in his heart, but said nothing. Paige kissed him on the cheek and ushered him out of the kitchen to finish breakfast. Andre scooped Madison up from the floor and went to play with her in the front room while Paige finished breakfast.

He could get used to this.


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay, listen up" Ms. G told the class. "Marcus has given me an idea. Instead of doing a book report on the Diary of Anne Frank, for our assignment, I want you to write a letter to Miep Gies, the woman who helped shelter the Franks'. She's still alive, and she lives in Europe.

"In your letter, I want you to tell her how you feel about the book. Tell her about your own experiences, tell her anything you'd like. But I want the letters to be perfect, so be prepared to do more than one daft, okay?" Ms. G explained.

"Is she gonna read the letters?" Marcus asked.

"Well, right now it's a writing assignment; I'll read them" Ms. G told him.

"We should get her to read them" Tito said, excited.

"You can do that, right Ms. G?" Ben piped in.

"Well, I don't know" Ms. G said, not wanting to get their hopes up.

"Maybe we should get her to come and speak" Brandy suggested. Everyone nodded and agreed. Paige and Andre smiled, it was a great idea.

"Yeah, have a big dinner again"

Suddenly, everyone was talking about idea. Ms. G tried to yell over their excited voices, but wasn't having much luck.

"She's elderly! I don't even know if she travels. It could be really expensive" Ms. G told them.

"We could raise the money!" Andre suggested. He and Paige shared a look. "We've got some ideas."

* * *

_Dear Miep Gies,_

_ After reading the story of Anne Frank, I cannot imagine what you had gone through. Having to hide day and night must have been terrifying, but having to be the one hiding them, and pretending day after day that they weren't there must have been horrible._

_I know what it's like to hide. I am currently hiding from my father with my half-sister and daughter, Madison. I don't know what I'd do without the people in my class and Ms. G. And I hope that you had someone to lean on in your time of need._

_I truly hope that you will be able to visit us here at Wilson High School. We've gone through a lot together, and I believe that if we had the chance to hear you speak, if would only bring further the changes that have occurred in each of us from room 203._

_Sincerely, _

_Paige Mallark_

* * *

For the next few weeks, everyone did their part. First fundraiser: Taste for Change. Everyone had gone to local restaurants, asking for donations. They set up tables and booth and sold food to people.

Andre was working the pizza, but he continuously glanced over at the lasagna table, where Paige and Madison were helping Miguel and some of the others.

Everyone was hanging out after school. One day, Jamal turned on some music and everyone started dancing. Paige laughed, holding onto Madison as Jamal and Andre danced. Then, Andre turned to her and held out his hand.

"Oh no" she shook her head. Andre smiled and took Madison from Paige, handing her to Ms. G, and dragged Paige out onto the 'dance floor'.

Paige threw her head back and laughed as she and Andre danced, their classmates, their family cheered around them. Ms. G smiled and held Madison close. Some of the girl turned from the dancing to coo at the baby.

There was the Concert For Change. They set up a DJ and played music all night long. Everyone from room 203 gathered to get and danced, but as the night went on, Paige pulled out and went over to a park bench.

She was exhausted and holding Madison, who was rarely seen away from Paige outside of regular school hours. "Hey" Andre sat down bedside Paige. "How are you doing?"

Paige sighed and rested her head against Andre's shoulder. "I'm exhausted. I'm not sure I can make it all the way home" Andre smiled as she called his apartment home.

Andre was getting attached to Paige. He couldn't imagine not waking up to her and Madison in the mornings anymore.

Paige was also attached to Andre, but she was scared. She doubted he felt the same way, and she couldn't afford to take care of Madison on her own if she screwed up what they had. So she kept her mouth shut and her feelings locked away.

Finally, they had raised enough money. Andre, Jamal, and some of the others decorated the library, were they would meet and listen to Miep Gies.

Paige sat with Madison. Ms. G had allowed her to bring Madison to school, as Paige had wanted her daughter there to meet this amazing woman.

_Marcus: Ms. G sent our letters all the way to Amsterdam to meet Gies herself. When Ms. G made up her mind about something, there was no stopping her, for real._

Ms. G signaled for everyone to be quiet as the door opened. Everybody stood in respect as Ms. G lead Marcus to the tiny, white-haired woman.

_And after we raised the money to bring her to Long beach, there she was. But damn, I didn't expect her to be so small._

Paige smiled, holding Madison, as she watched Marcus escort Miep Gies into the room, her hand the crook of his elbow like a gentleman from the earlier centuries.

Miep Gies sat down on the chair in front of everyone and everybody say down after her. After a moment, she began her story.

"The bounty on a Jew was about $2. Someone desperate for money told the gestapo. On August 4th, they stormed into my office and a man pointed a gun at me and said 'not a sound. Not one vord.' And then they went straight upstairs to the attic.

"I felt so helpless. I could hear Anne screaming, objects being thrown around, so I ran back to my house. I looked for an earring or knickknacks, you know, anything I could take back with me to bribe them. So I took this back with me, all these things, and the soldier there took out his gun and put it against my head."

Miep Gies shaped her hand into the crude shape of a gun and rested her fingertip against her temple.

"You could be shot, for hiding a Jew, or go to camp. So, another soldier recognized my accent. He was Austrian and so was I, but I had been adopted by a Dutch family. So he told the soldier with the gun to let me go.

"There isn't a day that I don't remember August 4th and I think about Anne Frank" She told them.

Marcus slowly raised his hand. "Yes?"

"Marcus stood. "I've never had a hero before. But you're my hero" Marcus told her. Ms. G smiled at Marcus. He had connected to this story like no one else.

"Oh no. No, no, young man, no. I am not a hero, no. I did what I had to do, because it was the right thing to do. That is all" Marcus looked crushed at first, but Gies continued to talk.

"We are all ordinary people. But even an ordinary secretary, or a housewife, or a teenager can, within their own small ways, turn on a small light in a dark room. Yeah?" Paige and Andre smiled own at Madison, and Miep Gies smiled as she watched the two look at the baby.

"I have read your letters, and your teacher's has been telling me many things about your experiences. You are the heroes. You are heroes every day. Your faces are engraved in my heart."

Later, when people started leaving, Miep Gies went to Paige and Andre. "Hello. You must be Ms. Mallark" Paige turned and smiled brightly at the smaller woman. "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you" Paige told her.

"I'm Andre" Andre said, holding out his hand. He shook the smaller woman's hand lightly.

"I am thinking this is Madison?" the woman asked, looking at the baby. Paige nodded. "Yes, this is my girl. I wanted to have her with me when we got to meet you" she explained.

Miep Gies nodded. "Yes, it must be difficult, the way she came into the world. But, she is a very beautiful girl"

Paige looked down at Madison a moment, then back at Miep Gies. "Would you like to hold her?" Miep Gies looked surprised, but flattered as well. She smiled. "I would love to"

Paige carefully handed her daughter to the old woman. Madison happily reached for the other woman, and Miep Gies smiled at the happy girl. Andre quickly took a picture of Miep Gies holding Madison.

"Thank you, for coming to meet us" Paige said as Miep Gies handed Madison back to her mother.

"The pleasure was mine" Miep Gies told her fondly.

* * *

"Ms. G?" Erin looked up as Paige walked into the room, holding her daughter. Madison had become a frequent fixture for their class functions, and everyone was incredibly fond of her.

"What can I do for you, Paige?"

Paige wasn't smiling, she actually looked a little scared. "Um, the woman that I had babysitting Madison, well, she had to leave. Her kids put her in a retirement home, and she can't watch Madison anymore. I don't have anyone else to watch her while I'm at school.

"I already talked to the principal, and he said that as long as it's cool with my teachers, I can bring Madison to school with me, to take care of her. So… is it cool with you?" she asked slowly.

Ms. G took a moment. "Paige, you have to remember, I have a class to teach" she told the young mother reluctantly.

"She won't be a bother! She hardly ever cries, she'll probably sleep right through class. If she doesn't, I can just give her a toy and unless it's a big problem, she'll be fine. Please. Ms. G! It's either I bring her to school, or I drop out. I'm out of options"

That sealed Ms. G's decision right there. "You are not dropping out. Go ahead, you can bring her to class. If any of your teachers have a problem with her, I'll watch her while you have class. You are a smart girl, Paige, I will not let you drop out."

Paige smiled and flung her arms around Ms. G. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!"

Ms. G hugged Paige back, and smile when she saw Andre waiting for Paige at the door. He nodded in thanks to Ms. G, and she smiled in acknowledgement.

Madison was a bigger distraction than Paige had predicted, but it was in a good way. Madison had quickly become room 203's mascot. Everyone still got their work done, but Madison was usually in someone's arms at all times.

When the desks were moved aside and they were doing activities, Madison would be allowed to crawl on the floor. Tito, Marcus, Jamal, and Ben were already trying to get Madison to walk and talk.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N –Almost done. After all the work of writing this story, I can't believe it's almost done.**

* * *

They started learning about the Freedom Riders. While Ms. G played the video, Gloria, who was holding Madison, was sure to hide Madison's eyes from the gruesome imagines from the video. Paige smiled thankfully at her.

_Ben: In 1961 an interracial civil rights group travelled by bus to the south to challenge segregation. Blacks sat in the front, white in the back. They were attacked, firebombed, but they kept going. In Montgomery, Alabama, Jim Zwerg offered to be the first off the bus, knowing there was a mob waiting for them._

_He was almost beaten to death so the others could get away. That kind of courage was unbelievable to me. I was afraid of even being in this class. I was ashamed because I've always been the dumb kid in school, even with my friends._

_But not anymore. And I must have some kind of courage, because I could have lied to get out of here, but I stayed. I stayed. And now I get to see Paige, who's in here because she missed half a year of school because she was pregnant, with her daughter Madison, and I think 'this is what strength is'._

* * *

_Andre: Ms. G made us read Twelve Angry Men. It's all about how this one juror helped change the hearts of eleven jurors. It made me feel hopeful. At two o'clock today my brother was given a verdict at his own trail. No OJ dream team. Just a court-appointed attorney who probably thought his ass was guilty._

Andre stormed into the apartment and stripped off his tie as he stormed into his room. He grabbed his basketball and fumed.

_And I realized: Twelve Angry Men was just a book, nothing more. My brother got fifteen years to life! Justice don't mean a bad guy goes to jail. It just means somebody pays for the crime._

Andre went to get something from the kitchen. He was about to open the fridge when he saw the plate on the counter. It was covered with cookies. He looked into the living room, and say Madison and Paige passed out. He could see some sprinkles still on Madison's hand, like the ones of the cookies.

_But, almost against my will, I still felt hope. I look at the little girl, sleeping on the floor, and I feel like she's my own daughter. My brother's not gonna get to come home any time soon, but I still had family._

* * *

**Sophomore year, spring semester.**

Paige looked around nervously in class. Andre was nowhere to be seen. "Anyone know where Andre's been?" Ms. G asked a few days later.

"I haven't seen him on the bus" Marcus told her.

"I haven't talked to him either"

"I haven't seen him at home much. And I'm usually up pretty late with homework and early with Madison" Paige told her.

As Ms. G started writing something on the board, Tito raised his hand. "Ms. G?" she smiled over at him. "Are we going to have the same room next year again?"

"I don't know. You're going to be juniors next year" Ms. G told them happily.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked.

"Well, I teach freshmen and sophomore years" Ms. G told them.

"You mean, we're not gonna be with you next year?" Brandy asked slowly.

"I don't teach juniors, I thought you guys understood that?" Ms. G said slowly.

Everyone started talking, not happy. "You don't want to be our teacher next year?"

"Of course I do. I can't" Ms. G told them.

"It's the Board of Ed." Victoria told them. "It's regulations. Ms. G hasn't been here long enough to have seniority"

Everyone was talking, not happy at all, and getting madder at the second.

"They can't do that" Eva said. "What about Madison? What about us? Ms. G, this is our kickin' spot. Everybody's cool with everybody. Everybody knows everybody. This is the only place we get to really be ourselves. There's no place like this out there for us"

"It's true" Sindy agreed.

"I'm not allowed to teach junior and seniors" Ms. G said again.

"Ms. G, we can fight this" Ben said. "You know, like the Freedom Riders."

"Yeah, yeah," Marcus agreed, "we all drive around on a bus, only this time, they try and bust us up we bust a few of them board member's heads."

* * *

Andre came back to his apartment late that night. It was dark, so he figured Paige and Madison would both be asleep as he made his way to his room.

He stopped next to the door to his brother's room. It hadn't been touched.

He opened the door to his room, and the lamp was on. Lying on his bed was Paige. She was still dressed, as if she had been waiting for him.

Andre went to the front room to check on Madison, but she was all tucked in and fast asleep. Andre went back to his room, and noticed Paige's journal on the floor, a pen lying between the two open pages, ink fresh.

He slowly picked it up, trying not to wake Paige. She hadn't been getting much sleep, he knew.

_I'm scared. Andre had been acting so strange. I think I know why. His brother has been sent to jail. It's hard to find that there is still injustice in the world, especially since Ms. G has given us all so much hope, but it is still there._

_There are innocent men and women going to jail for things they didn't do, children getting abused by parents that shouldn't have kids, and family torn apart because of circumstance._

_I can understand if Andre gave up. But, I hope that he will find his way again. If this life of sneaking around and shadows is what he chooses, I can't stop him. But I can't let Madison be raised like this._

_Andre is like a father to Madison. He cares for her so much. Sometimes, I'll watched him with her, and it feel like my heart is so full it will burst._

_Sometimes, I wish that we could be a real family. I care for Andre a great deal, and I want him to know that I will always be there for him._

_I want him to know that even when everything seems to be going wrong, Madison and I will be here, with hope._

Andre felt tears welling up in his eyes as he read. He gently shut the journal and put it back on the ground, sitting on his bed next to the sleeping redhead.

He had been feeling a little of what she had expressed in her journal. Paige was a beautiful girl, and more than that, she was amazing. With Madison, with the other kids in 203, and with him.

Andre gently tucked his comforter around her and kissed her forehead, turning off the lamp and letting her get some sleep.

He went to the front room and carefully lifted Madison off the floor and held the tiny, sleeping body to his chest as he lay down of the couch. He fell sleep with Madison in his arms.

Paige woke up the next morning in Andre's room. She slowly got up, turning the light, that she was sure had been on when she fell asleep, back on. She sleepily made her way to the front room to check on Madison, and smiled at what she saw.

Andre was stretched out on the couch with his arms around Madison, who was fast asleep on his chest.

Paige smiled fondly and started making breakfast. As it got later in the morning, Paige set breakfast on the counter and went over to the couch. She took Madison from Andre's arms and set her on the floor, turning back to the boy.

"Hey, Andre. Time to wake up" she shook his awake. Andre's eyes opened slowly, and he stretched, wiping at his eyes. "I'm up" he said sleepily.

Paige picked up Madison, who was also awake, and changed her, getting ready to feed her.

"Listen, Paige. Can we talk for a sec?" Andre asked as Paige set Madison on the high chair they had gotten from an old woman in the complex.

Paige turned to Andre and slowly nodded, unsure what he was going to say.

"I know I messed up. After my brother's verdict, I shut you out, and I'm sorry. I read your journal entry. I'm sorry I've been such a screw up with you and Madison, but I want to get back. I want to go back to how we were. A family" Andre told her, trying to convey his feelings.

Paige smiled and held out the spoon and bowl of oatmeal she was feeding Madison. Andre smiled and grabbed then, ready to feed his baby girl.

"And Paige?"

Paige turned around, but before she knew it, she felt a pair of lips on her own. Paige gasped and almost fell back, but his arms slid around her waist, holding her up. Paige's hand found his shoulders and held on.

When the need for air was getting to be too much, Paige pulled back, breathing heavily. "I really care about you too" Andre said with a smug smile.

Paige rolled her eyes and smiled back before moving one hand to the back of his neck and pulling him back to her for another kiss.

* * *

Ms. G was glad when she saw Andre walking to class, holding Madison, while Paige was carrying her books. Oh, she was peeved with him, of course, but he was back.

"Andre" Ms. G stopped him from going into the room. "Just wait a second, please" Andre nodded and handed Madison to Paige, who kissed his cheek and went inside, smiling at Ms. G.

When Ms. G came back into the room, Andre followed a few minutes after. He sat down next to Paige and smiled, taking her hand, ready for class.

Ms. G stood up front as everyone was silent, waiting for her new. "I want you all to know that Dr. Cohn and I tried very hard" she told them. "But it has been decided that we can't continue with each other junior year"

Instantly there were sounds of protests. Paige squeezed Andre's hand, worried.

"No!" Marcus' voice quieted the room. "That don't fly, Ma."

Paige looked at Andre questioningly, not understanding the phrase. Ms. G looked pissed.

"Look, first of all I'm not anyone's mother in here, okay?"

"No" Andre told her, releasing Paige's hand. "It doesn't mean mother"

"It's a sign of respect for you" Eva told her softly. Paige smiled and cradled Madison, who was smiling and waving at Ms. G, who looked slightly stunned.

It was silent for a moment. "Listen to me, all of you" Ms. G said firmly. "Don't use me as another excuse for why you can't make it. You made it to your junior year. Think about how you did that. Everyone in this room has a chance to graduate.

"For some, you'll be the first in your family. The first with the choice to go to college. For some, it means a chance at a better life for you family" Ms. G looked at Paige and Madison.

"Some may move faster than others, but you'll each have the chance. And you did that, not me. Now, I have one final project in mind"

_Eva: Ms. G wanted us to put our diaries together in a book. Just like Anne Frank. She got this business man, John Tu, to donate thirty-five computers so we could work. She told us we had something to say to people. _

_We weren't just kids in a class anymore. We were writers with our own voices, our own stories, and even if no one read it, the book would be something to leave behind that said 'we were here. This is what happened. We mattered, even if it was just to each other, and we won't forget.'_

_Ms. G didn't promise it would get published or anything, but we could get it out there ourselves. She asked us to come up with a title. Something to call ourselves._

_**The Freedom Writers Diary**_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N – Last chapter everyone! Enjoy!**

* * *

It wasn't school hours, but everyone room room 203 was waiting outside the school for Ms. G to tell them the news.

Her car pulled up to the curb, and she walked over to the group. "Hey, there goes Ms. G" Jamal said. "Hey, there goes Ms. G!" he said louder, to the people further away from him.

Everyone stood, anxiously awaiting her news. Ms. G stopped in front of the group. 'What happened?" Ben asked her. "Are we gonna be together for junior year?" Eva asked.

"No" Ms. G said solemnly. Dozens of shoulders slumped. Then, Ms. G smiled. "We're going to be together junior _and_ senior year."

Everyone cheered, the guys obviously the loudest. Andre whooped and lifted Madison high to the sky, running around as she giggled. The other's followed him for a while. Then he handed Madison to Eva and grabbed Paige. She shrieked in surprised, but was silenced by a victorious kiss.

* * *

_Many Freedom Writers were the first in their families to graduate high school and go to college._

_Following some of her students, Ms. G left Wilson to teach at California State University, Long Beach._

"_The Freedom Writers Diary" was published in 1999._

_Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers started the Freedom Writers Foundation dedicated to recreating the success of room 203 in classrooms throughout the country._

_Andre went to college. Paige didn't. After graduating from California State, Andre proposed to Paige. Madison was the flower girl. Jamal walked her down the aisle. Ms. G stood in for Paige's mother. Eva was the Maid of Honor._

**And They All Lived.**


End file.
